First Phone Call Home (a Big Hi to the BLCers)

Yesterday I called home for the first time! There is a prominent store on the main street where you can make phonecalls and use internet for a set price. The Pipi calls home to Italy from there... I'd known about it but never really considered calling home, as I didn't exactly know how it operated. Yesterday after school I was walking with Pedro (looking for shoes for Cueca) and thought, why not? Turns out it's super super cheap: It was only 750 pesos (the equivalent of a dollar fifty) to talk for a little more than five minutes, which is enough for me. It was really strange to hear such perfect and familiar English! It was hard for me not to speak Spanglish... I kept saying, "como?" or "entonces..." Pedro thought I was going to leave the phonebooth crying (I kept making faces at him as I talked) but on the contrary, it made me really glad that I'm here. The echoing was strange and I was a little dizzy afterward (a strange experience)... But no tears! Haha. It reminded me a lot of Brown Ledge... First phone call home!

Right now I'm in the computer lab at school (this is becoming more and more common). My first two hours of the day on Fridays are Biology, and the teacher isn't here so we don't have class. Apparently everyone knew this but me, so all of my classmates are at home sleeping. I'm lonely! It's too bad, too, because the Biology teacher is one of my favorites. Profe Toledo, I think. He's this really short, super-animated little man who loves talking to me about his lesson plans (which he translates from English plans online) and about AP classes in the States.

Hm... I'm going to be practicing violin after school with other music students on Monday (W00t) and I'm still struggling with Cueca... I have to buy the Cueca attire (a dress and character shoes) and I'm pretty much incapable of purchasing anything without Mamá.

Tuesday I wore a skirt to school for the first time! I was pretty much "that girl who always wears pants" for a while, because I hadn't thought I would need a skirt when I bought my uniform. I was wrong... Everyone wears skirts. Me too, now! It's actually a fairly decent uniform. Right now I'm wearing:
Navy pleated skirt with grey tights,
Black Mary Janes,
White blouse with a grey tie,
Navy V-Neck sweater,
Navy Jacket
Not to mention the various gloves and hats and scarves I've collected here. I bought a fantastic set of gloves and hat at a store called "Casa de Cosas" or House of Things. The gloves are super warm and the hat embarasses my brother to no end... All this awesomeness for under three US dollars.

This week:

Monday: I help out with English classes in the morning when I don't have class; I was helping two students on Monday from a different section of my grade. We were done with the assignments and talking in Spanish while sitting in the patio. When I was asked why I wasn't in class, I responded that I could skip two classes as an exchange student. I chose to skip Quimica and Filosofia, the latter because the teacher is a *zombie imitation.* They both cracked up at my zombie face, which usually has that effect because the teacher is actually a real zombie. But they were laughing a little too hard... After about five minutes of calming down, Jorge whispered in English, "the profe Sandra is his mom..." of the other boy. Yes, I died. This is now the story of the moment, the gringa tonta is a big hit.

Tuesday: I don't have classes all morning Tuesdays, so that was fun. I also had none in the afternoon, as I left at lunchtime to go to the doctor for my back. I have scoliosis! That pretty much explains the horrific death-pain. I love going to Rancagua (the doctor's office is there) because every time we go, without fail, we stop at the best empanada place on the way back. I LOVE EMPANADAS!

Wednesday: I went with the other exchange students to a regional sports competition in the city... The Miss basically told us to walk to another school and we were off... We walked about thirty minutes to the school where the competition was supposedly being held... Then walked all the way across the city again when we were told it wasn't. In a light drizzle, may I add. With my heavy backpack and a crooked spine, may I also add. But it was made up for when we stopped at Rigoletto's for "snacks." That means manjar cake and sodas. There are two kinds of cake here: regular boring cake and cake with manjar. Manjar is the same as Dulce de Leche, and of course it's delicious. The cake is made up of layers of crisp with manjar between. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
After this, I met up with Pedro at one, bought a watch at the Wednesday-street-fair, and walked home with him. I'd already met his mom, but not his dad. Sr. Leiva had been in Chiloe with a tío; when he came back he brought gifts for the family (and for the polola!!)... Pedro brought to school on Monday a traditional Chilean purse (green knitted wool... I like it more with each day I wear it) and a little leather souvenir type box which just fits a few coins and says Chiloe on top. His dad is super sweet. I'd met his mom and sister before, but this time was a lot more interesting. Isadora is two years old and the cutest thing ever. She's very animated, loves my iPod, and dances in front of the television. We had lunch (no lunch at school on Wednesdays) for about two hours. Delicious! someone's mom is a better cook than mine.
After this (yeah, Wednesday was pretty big), I came back to school at five for clases de Cueca and Spanish. Which means looking at Cueca dresses and then walking to Rigoletto's with a few friends and the Pipi for helado and papas fritas (ice cream and french fries).
Thursday (yesterday): Phone call home! Not much else; I fell asleep at nine thirty, which is so nice...

I'm not sure what else. I don't have nightmares about having to go home now that I'm taking pain-meds... W00t for symptoms of drowsiness!
A class just came in to the computer lab, so I gotta forfeit the computer...

Chao! And gracias for reading!
La Emily


PS CHURIPAN = GOD